February 20, 2004

MEDIA ADVISORY

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

Oakland, CA -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (District 14), in conjunction with Public Citizen, will hold a joint press conference tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley Unified School District Headquarters. During the 108th Congress, Lee introduced HR 3120, the Right to Know School Nutrition Act, which calls for labeling of irradiated food in the cafeteria so that parents and students can know if school lunches have been irradiated and provides them with an alternative option. Hancock is introducing AB 1988, California Safe School Lunch Act, which would prevent irradiated ground beef provided though the National School Lunch program from being served in California school lunches.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began permitting irradiated ground beef to be served in the National School Lunch Program. Irradiation depletes essential nutrients and creates toxins in food.

WHEN: Friday, February 20th, 10:00 AM

WHERE: Berkeley Unified School District Headquarters

"The Old City Hall"

2134 Martin Luther King Jr., Way

Berkeley, CA.

SPEAKERS: The Honorable Barbara Lee, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Loni Hancock, California State Assembly

Tracy Lerman; Senior Organizer, Public Citizen

John Selawsky, President, Berkeley School Board

Joy Moore, Nutrition Outreach Specialist, City of Berkeley